Her first job interview. And under false pretenses, too. Did Gayle really want to make the switch from privileged daughter to unknown office worker? She hadn’t lied on her application, she had merely stopped short of mentioning her full name or education. All she needed was a chance to be who she really was and not be used for who she knew. She’d been hurt, but now it was time for a new start.

Q and A with Veda Boyd Jones regarding The Governor’s Daughter.

Q: Why set this book at the University of Arkansas?

A: I went to graduate school at the U of A and can call the hogs with the best of them.  My major was history, so I set the book in that department. When I was there, I knew a gal who’s father had run for governor in Arkansas, and I learned the political ins and outs from her.

Q: Aren’t you disillusioned with politics?

A: I’m convinced we have the best system of government in the world. Does it have problems? Sure. And the voters chang directions all the time, but I believe in democracy.

Q: Why have Gayle assume a different identity?

A: She just doesn’t tell others that she is the governor’s daughter. People in the spotlight have a hard time discerning whether someone likes them for themselves or for their connections. I thought I’d shine a spotlight on this—that fame, however peripheral to a person’s life, comes at a cost.